BSO TRUANCY SWEEP A HUGE SUCCESS

Victim(s):

Almedia Ceclia, 42, 9/26/60

Suspect(s):

Christopher Ben Jimenez, 13, 5/5/88, 3858 San Simeon Circle, Weston

Description of Incident:

A 13-year old Weston boy charged with felony burglary is among nearly 100 juveniles caught-up in the latest BSO bi-monthly countywide truancy sweep, part of Sheriff Ken Jenne’s hard line efforts to combat the juvenile crime rate.

At about 10:30 in the morning on April 23, 2002, a BSO School Resource Officer spotted Christopher Jimenez rummaging though the contents of a car parked in a public lot at 4250 Pond Ridge Road in Weston. Jimenez, of 3858 San Simeon Circle, gave the deputy an unconvincing story as to why he was in the car and why he wasn’t in school. The deputy took the teen into custody for burglary of a conveyance and drove him to the JIF (Juvenile Intervention Facility), where he joined 85 other truants picked-up that day for cutting classes. Jimenez was released to his parents.

With nearly 2-months left in the current school year, the JIF has processed 13,801 juveniles caught absent from school without a valid excuse. And while truancy is not a crime, BSO has found a solid connection between truancy and juvenile crime rates.

“All too often, trouble seems to find a child cutting classes, “ said Sheriff Jenne. “Our goal is to help those children before they become chronic truants so they don’t become common criminals.”

Daytime crimes like burglary, auto theft, larceny, and vandalism; acts commonly committed by juveniles dropped 48-percent last school year because of Sheriff Jenne’s aggressive fight against truancy.

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.